Lovefool
by Urban Scrawl
Summary: During the festivities of Feast's Day in Highever, young love takes a backseat to drunken pranks. F!Cousland/Nathaniel fluff!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone~! Here is a short fiction with Elissa Cousland. This is based on the Outgrown storyline, but you do not need to read it to enjoy a bit of Elissa/Nathaniel fluff. Enjoy!

P.S.: Bioware owns all =)

* * *

The sun has set and the evening has fallen upon the town of Highever. Townsfolk began to prepare for their evening meals, talk with their loved ones, and prepare themselves for next day's work. In the midst of the quiet serenity of the night, Castle Cousland was bursting with excitement and music.

Inside the Castle's magnificent walls, the Teyrn and Teyrna were throwing a festive celebration for the Bann in honor of Feast's Day. The massive ballroom was strung with elegant glass lanterns and was decorated with various colorful tabards and drapery. Most of Ferelden's nobility have gathered to drink and laugh amongst themselves to celebrate the foolish holiday.

As the band played cheerful melodies upon the small stage, the men and women of the Bann danced to the music on the center floor. Those who didn't dance made easy chatter amongst themselves on the sides while dining from the lengthy tables which held full platters of sumptuous foods and pitchers of ale.

One lone boy stood with his back against the wall, nursing a small globlet of wine. His eyes scanned the crowds of nobles before him, trying to find the person he had been seeking since he had arrived.

A sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to slightly jump from surprise. He turned his head and saw Fergus Cousland grinning at him.

"Oy! What is a handsome lad like you just standing around here when you can be romancing all those ladies on the dance floor! Eh, Nathaniel Howe?" Fergus was slightly tipsy from drinking his third helping of ale.

Nathaniel gave Fergus a wry smile. "I'm having too much fun watching the Cousland heir be sloshed out of his mind."

Fergus rewarded his humor with a hearty laugh. "Well, it is Feast's Day after all! What other day can you act a fool and get away with it?"

Nathaniel chuckled and leaned back against the stone wall. He was soon approaching his eighteenth year and already he had grown to be an impressive height. Due to his constant training with his daggers and his archery, he had filled out nicely into his frame. He had his long hair tied up into a small ponytail in the back, hoping it would pacify his father and his recent tirades about the length of it. Nathaniel noticed several daughters amongst the Bann had thrown him seductive winks and giggles his way.

Nathaniel had no interest in the flirty young women around him. He only had eyes for one specific girl.

"Where is your wife, Fergus?" Nathaniel asked politely, taking a sip from his goblet.

"Oriana went off to check on the baby. She gets nervous leaving Oren with Nan for more than a few minutes." Fergus answered with a sigh.

"You should be proud to be the father of such a healthy boy." Nathaniel said, looking out into the crowd again.

"Ha! You'll understand when it happens to you, Nathaniel!" Fergus threaded his arm around Nathaniel's shoulders. "To marry the woman you love and to have a child…it's a bloody miracle!"

Nathaniel smiled awkwardly. "I think I'm still a bit too young for all that just yet."

"Nonsense!" Fergus waved his goblet into the air, causing a bit of ale to spill out. "You're approaching your eighteenth year soon…I bet your father is itching for you to find some interest in some lovely young lady!"

Nathaniel simply laughed in response. Fergus was happily drunk along with most of the nobles in the room. Nathaniel saw his younger sister Delilah dancing off to the side in the arms of the son of Bann Sighard. He wondered where his other younger sibling Thomas had wandered off to.

He also wondered where _she_ was.

"Fergus…I don't see your sister anywhere. Do you know where she is?" Nathaniel tried to ask as casually as he could.

"Elissa?" Fergus frowned and scanned the ballroom himself. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her for a while myself. I think I last saw her heading upstairs to the balcony."

The mention of Elissa's name sent a shiver of excitement through Nathaniel's spine. A few weeks back, Nathaniel had accompanied his father to visit the Couslands. It had been over a year since he last paid a visit to Highever. Nathaniel recalled the instant shock he felt when his adolescent eyes laid upon the young Cousland girl he had once thought to be a clinging little brat. Gone was the gangly skinny girl he used to have wrestling matches with. Replaced with a young woman who had soft and delicate curves to compliment her femininity. But Elissa was still Elissa, and she still retained the same spitfire personality from when she was a child. When they met again, she tried to engage Nathaniel in another hand-to-hand sparring match, which he promptly declined. He was too besotted by her beauty to concentrate on any sort of training.

Nathaniel knew it was a one-sided infatuation. Even though Elissa had grown to be such a lovely young woman, she had absolutely no interest in marriage and babies as the other girls amongst the Bann. While normal girls tittered on about frilly lace and cute boys, Elissa was more comfortable training and sparring with the Highever soldiers. And that tomboy personality was exactly what sparked Nathaniel's interest in the Cousland girl.

The only thing he wanted this night was a chance to share a dance with Elissa Cousland.

"Fergus, there you are!" Teyrna Cousland approached the two young men, wearing an elegant gown of dark red silk. "Will you come help me find your father? I think he may have wandered off with Arl Wulff to Maker only knows _somewhere_. We must find them before they decide to do something stupid and ridiculous in their drunken stupor."

"Sure, mother dearest." Fergus replied and gave the Teyrna a wet kiss upon her cheek. "Anything for the grandmama of my child!"

"Oh, would you look at this! You're drunk too!" Teyrna Cousland complained, slapping her son on the arm. She quickly turned her eyes to Nathaniel. "My dear boy, I'm so sorry to impose such a thing upon you, but can you find my daughter for me and tell her to search for her drunk father…Elissa always seems to have a knack of tracking him down."

"Absolutely, Teyrna." Nathaniel inclined his head and set his goblet down on the nearby table. "I will find your daughter at once."

"Thank you, Nathaniel. I am glad that there is one man around here that I can depend on." The Teyrna threw her son a fiery glare and began pushing him out to the nearby doors. "Come now, Fergus. We must find your father immediately!"

After Teyrna Cousland and her son left the ballroom, Nathaniel began winding his way through the crowd to make his way towards the stairway. Fergus had mentioned that he last saw Elissa heading towards the balcony, so that would be the best place to look.

"Nathaniel Howe!" A voice chirped from behind as he felt a hand thread around his arm.

He looked down to see a perky red-headed girl gazing at him with a wide smile. Nathaniel gave an inward groan. It was Bann Alfstanna's younger sister…her name was Cara or Cera…whatever it is. The most memorable thing about the girl was how annoying she was.

Still, Nathaniel played the part of a gentleman and gave her a polite bow of his head. "Hello, my fair lady. Are you enjoying the party?"

She gave a babyish giggle. "I'm having much more fun now that I have finally found you, Ser Howe. Come, you must join me on the dance floor."

"I really would like to, my dear." Nathaniel slowly tried to untangle his arm from her grasp. "But I am to do a bidding for Teyrna Cousland…"

"Oh, come now!" She tightened her hold on his elbow, causing Nathaniel to wince at her grip. "Surely the Teyrna would understand if you give me once little dance!"

"But I…" Nathaniel tried to protest but the girl proved stronger than her petite frame has stated and dragged him onto the ballroom floor with the rest of the dancers.

* * *

Elissa hated any sort of formal event. The luxurious dark blue velvet gown that her mother had ordered in from Orlais was difficult for her to maneuver around because the train of the skirts dragged on the floor. Oriana had insisted that she wear a pair of her favorite strapped dress shoes that she brought with her from Antiva. Nan had also styled her hair up into a painful setting full of intricate braids and pearl pins. And even though it was Feast's Day, her mother had forced her into a corset to prevent her from eating as much as she would like.

It was truly torture.

She wandered off to the balcony, away from the mass of nobles who were drinking and dancing the night away in the main hall. She reveled in the cool night breeze that gave her small reprieve from the stuffiness inside. The music from the lutes and pipes echoed softly from downstairs.

Elissa sighed as she placed her arms against the railing, gazing up at the milky trail of stars in the inky night sky.

"Now that was quite a sigh." A voice came from behind.

Elissa turned around to see Bann Teagan approaching her with a friendly expression on his face. He carried two goblets of water in his hands and held one out to Elissa.

She smiled and accepted the drink he brought her. "Can you blame me? I'm suffocating down there."

Teagan joined Elissa on the balcony and leaned himself against the railing. "Why do you think I joined you, young Lady Cousland? A toast to escaping the crowd!"

Elissa rewarded Teagan with a laugh and gently clinked her goblet of water against his. "A toast indeed. I'm surprised you find it necessary to run from the crowd. Didn't you recently officially join the Bannorn yourself this year?"

Teagan shyly scratched his ear. "Well, yes…but I feel like I was defaulted into it. It is only because my sister was Queen and my brother is the Arl of Redcliffe."

"Still quite an accomplishment." Elissa said, taking a sip of water. "My brother is your age and he's not officially part of the Bann."

"It's a blessing for him." Teagan chuckled. "I miss my carefree days around Redcliffe Castle, with servants bowing to my every whim, a life with no responsibilities…"

Elissa gave an unladylike snort as she tried not to laugh while drinking from her goblet. "Ha! Bann Teagan, playing the rich little master? By the Maker, even when I was a child I remembered you as the oldest fuddy duddy ever to grace Thedas. You and Fergus are truly two of a kind."

Teagan smiled at Elissa's comparison. "Fergus has one above me, I'm afraid. I'm not married to a beautiful woman."

Elissa waved him off. "Fergus was only able to find a wife from Antiva because no Ferelden woman would have him. You're quite a catch, Teagan. I heard all the single ladies in the court are vying for your affections."

Teagan awkwardly cleared his throat. "And what about yourself, My Lady Cousland?"

Elissa gave him a radiant grin. "Perhaps I should pursue you as well. I've been wanting to annoy Fergus with something new as of late."

Teagan laughed amicably at Elissa's small joke. Although it pained him to admit, he knew that the young Lady Cousland was not interested in him in a romantic sense. To her, he was her brother's close friend and confidant. It was a relationship that he would never allow himself to pursue, although he was tempted to.

And from his observations, Elissa Cousland's affections seemed to stay loyal to a mystery man.

Even though she was not aware of it, Elissa Cousland was the most sought after amongst the noblewomen in Ferelden. Not only was she the only daughter of the Teyrn and Teyrna of Highever, she had blossomed into a rare beauty. Her cheeks were a rosy pink that required no assistance from expensive face paint from Orlais. Her hair was the rich color of chestnuts, which tended to curl seductively against her alabaster skin. Her eyes were a clear and bright blue, the same color as the summer sky.

And as tempting as she was, Teagan would never risk his friendship with Fergus to court his younger sister.

"Hey, Teagan?"

Elissa's voice broke Teagan out of his reverie. "Yes?"

"Do you remember Alistair?" She murmured, her gaze was back to the stars.

Teagan furrowed his brow. "Alistair? You mean my brother's young ward?"

She turned to look at him. "Yes, him. Whatever happened to him?"

Teagan ran his hand through his hair as he tried to remember. "Alistair…hm. I think Eamon sent him to the Chantry while I was away at Dragon's Peak for squire duties. I'm not positive on that though. When I came back, he was just gone…the Arlessa didn't like speaking of him so nobody really told me what had happen."

Elissa gave him a sad smile. "I see. Thank you, Teagan." And she returned her eyes back to the night sky.

It was on the tip of Teagan's tongue to ask Elissa, '_Are you concerned for the stable boy?' _but his question cut off as they heard the sound of quick and heavy footsteps coming from behind.

Young Roland Gilmore came running up to them both, crouching down to catch his breath. "My Lady…" He panted. "Your mother has sent me to search for you. Apparently your father is…intoxicated…and disappeared with Arl Wulff. She wants you to find him before they both get into the same…mischief…as they did the year before."

Elissa groaned and shook her head. "Blast it, Father. When he got sodding drunk with Arl Wulff last year, it took us nearly a week to rid the cheese they smeared all over the inner hallways. Even though it was quite impressive how legible they were able to write the words 'Ferelden Rules and Orlais Drools'…the castle reeked of sharp cheddar for months!"

Teagan raised his eyebrow at Elissa. "Didn't your father also almost set the Dining Hall on fire because he and Arl Wulff thought it was a brilliant idea to see how many torches they could juggle at once?"

"That, he did as well…along with many other things." Elissa sighed in embarrassment and hitched up her skirts. "Sorry to cut our conversation so short, Teagan. But I must find my father before he does anything our family will regret."

Teagan nodded. "It is no problem. I will let you know if I see them."

"Thank you." Elissa gave a quick curtsy and turned to her squire. "Come on, Rory. Let's hurry up and hunt father down. I'm sure we'd be able to track them both down by the smell of ale."

"Or Cheese." Roland quipped and followed his mistress as she ran down the dark halls as quickly as she could in her delicate shoes.


	2. Chapter 2

Nathaniel finally escaped the clutches of Bann Alfstanna's sister and hid himself behind a large stone pillar until she had fully disappeared from his sight. _The young woman had to be half-leech, _he wearily thought to himself as he quickly bolted up the stairs.

As he arrived to the balcony, all he saw was Bann Teagan with his arms crossed against the railing, peering out into the darkness. Nathaniel noticed that there were two goblets beside Teagan as well…which meant he had company.

"Teagan." Nathaniel called, joining him on the deck.

Teagan turned and greeted him with a surprised grin. "Ah, if it isn't Nate Howe. Have you come to escape the dregs of nobility below?"

"In some part." Nathaniel shrugged. "I'm actually looking for Elissa Cousland. Her mother is looking for her."

"Ah, you just missed her by just a few moments." Teagan replied, pointing towards the dark corridor behind them. "A squire ran up to inform her about her missing father. She went off that way to find him…poor dear, I don't know how she's going to be able to run around in that elegant gown of hers."

Nathaniel frowned. So he had just missed her…damn that little tart for keeping him on the dance floor. The squire that Teagan had mentioned had to be Roland Gilmore. For an inexplicable reason, he always felt uncomfortable at the thought of Elissa and the Cousland Ward together.

Teagan quickly read the expression on Nathaniel's face. "I take it you are searching for Lady Cousland for reasons other than helping her find the Teyrn?"

"What?" Nathaniel jumped at Teagan's observant comment. "No, no…I'm just searching for her because the Teyrna requested it."

"Hm." Teagan raised and eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Very well, if you choose to deny it, feel free to do so. I wondered if you were the man that Lady Cousland has been sweet on, but apparently you are not."

"Wait, what? Who is the man Elissa Cousland has feelings for?" Nathaniel demanded, falling into Teagan's trap.

Teagan gave a small chuckle. Even though he was only a few years older than Nathaniel, it was still enjoyable to poke fun at a youth in love. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed her subtle little patterns."

"Patterns?" Nathaniel repeated, confused.

"First off, whenever anyone approaches her with the subject of marriage, she immediately brushes them off." Teagan noted.

"It is most likely because she is too young to consider any suitors." Nathaniel reasoned warily.

"Second," Teagan began counting off the fingers on his hand. "It is evident that she is working very hard to keep the boys away."

"It is because she is a tomboy. It can't be helped if the Teyrn and her brother raised her to be a fighter." Nathaniel answered, countering Teagon's logic.

Teagan smiled and held out three fingers. "Third…haven't you noticed how much Elissa tends to gaze off into the sky, sighing to herself? Don't you know that is a telltale sign of a young woman in love?"

"That's…just preposterous." Nathaniel sighed in exasperation and waved Teagan off. "That's enough of your daft observations. All those reasons are because Elissa is Elissa…and nothing more."

Teagan grinned at Nathaniel's reply. "You say that now, Nate Howe…but don't you wonder who she is thinking of when she looks off into the horizon with nostalgic eyes?"

Nathaniel hesitated. "It is because she is an odd girl. Now if you excuse me," He turned on his heel. "I'm going to find her and help finding the Teyrn before he gets into trouble as he did the year before when he and Arl Wulff wandered into the women's bath house."

* * *

"They've been here." Elissa narrowed her eyes as observed the wet stains of ale along the long red carpet leading to the entrance hall.

"What do you think they're up to?" Roland wondered aloud. "You don't think Teyrn Cousland and Arl Wulff are planning on dangling barrels of molasses on top of the doorways like last year, do you? When one of those barrels dropped on me, it took me a week to wash it out of my hair."

"Anything is possible with my drunken father." Elissa muttered, her hands still holding up the trains of her skirt. "Let's keep tracking him, Rory. He can't be too far off."

"Yes, My Lady." Roland replied and continued to follow behind her, keeping up with her hurried steps.

"When I find my father…" Elissa grumbled under her breath. "I'm going to throttle him! No…I'm going to hand him immediately over to my mother, then she will throttle him! That would be much more satis…ah!" Elissa yelped as she fell face first to the floor.

"My Lady!" Roland quickly ran to her side assisted her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine…it was…ah, sodding piece of…" Elissa growled as she pulled off one of the strapped shoes Oriana gave her. The heel had broken off and was dangling by a thread. "Look at this…Oriana is going to murder me! She's always going on about how much she cherishes these bloody shoes that she brought from Antiva."

Roland took the shoe and looked it over. "Don't worry, My Lady. I think I can fix this easily. I'll just borrow some tools from one of the gardeners."

"Really?" Elissa let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Rory. That would save me from a horrible fate at the hands of my sister-in-law."

Roland turned slightly pink at her thanks. "It's not a problem." He pointed to her other foot. "I would suggest you take that one off or else you will be running quite lop-sided."

"Ah, good point. Thanks." Elissa quickly took off her other shoe and Roland took it into his hands. She wiggled her toes, luxuriating in the freedom. "That feels so much better! I think I can run much faster now."

"Lady Elissa!"

Roland and Elissa looked up to see a young elven girl call out to them in a panic. As they ran up to her, Elissa recognized her as one of the servants that assisted Nan in the kitchens.

"My Lady!" She was trying to catch her breath from her exertion. "I was searching for you or the Teyrna. Nan saw your father and Arl Wulff sneaking into the Chantry…in her words, they were sodded out of their bloomin' minds."

"The Chantry!" Elissa pounded her fist into her palm and turned to the young elf. "Take me over there immediately! Whatever they are planning, it can't be good. Rory," She turned back to Roland. "Could you find my mother and tell her we think we found them?"

"At once, My Lady." Roland obediently bowed.

Elissa nodded. "Let's hurry now, before they get away!"

Roland watched the two run out the main entrance and towards the Castle's Chantry. He then realized he was still holding onto Elissa's shoes.

"Well, _this _won't make me look daft at all." Roland sighed and slung the strapped shoes over his shoulder and ran off to search for the Teyrna.

* * *

Nathaniel ran down the corridors, cursing the architect who built Castle Cousland. As grand as the place was, he felt like a rat trapped in a maze. He could still hear the music and laughter coming from the grand ballroom, which meant that he ended up where he started and he had been running around in circles for Maker knows how long.

As he arrived in one of the large dining halls, he saw Roland Gilmore running out of the other door.

"Oy! Squire Gilmore!" Nathaniel yelled, waving him down.

Roland turned around and saw the oldest Howe son running to him. Roland resisted the urge to give a sarcastic click of his tongue. He never really liked any of the Howes. Even though they were close friends with the Couslands, he always found Arl Howe to be a shifty character. Roland also knew both the Howe sons made doe-eyes at Elissa. Thomas he could forgive, he was young and it was merely a boy's first puppy love. But Roland was much more concerned with Nathaniel. His mistress could do much better than some spoiled noble boy born with an air of suave debonair about him.

Nathaniel grabbed hold of Roland's shoulder for support. "Where is Elissa? I've been running around this place for what seems like ages…I can't find her anywhere."

Roland had experience in hiding his emotions and gave Nathaniel a placid expression. "My Lady Cousland is looking for her father. I am searching for the Teyrna because one of the servants spotted Teyrn Cousland out back."

Nathaniel nodded and then noticed the lady's shoes that Roland had strung over his shoulder. He couldn't help ribbing the squire. "Nice pair of shoes you have there, Gilmore…I take it that you are planning on dancing with those later on this evening?"

Roland narrowed his eyes…he was liking the oldest Howe son less and less. "My Lady Cousland had to take these off because one of the heels had broken. I am holding them for her until she takes care of the business with her father."

Nathaniel grinned at Roland's straight response. "Whatever you say, Gilmore. Speaking of which, where _is_ Teyrn Cousland? I've promised the Teyrna I would help find him."

_I'm sure she did…and I'm sure that finding My Lady Cousland isn't your primary objective_, Roland thought sarcastically to himself. "The servant spotted Teyrn Cousland and Arl Wulff sneaking into the Castle's Chantry."

"Thank you, Gilmore!" Nathaniel hastily pounded Roland on the back out of appreciation and began to run out the side door. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned back to the squire. "I know this is silly but…how do I get to the Chantry?"

Roland's face was a perfect mask. "Just keep going straight down that hall and turn left at the end. That will be one of the exits which would lead you there, there is no light, so you will have to make your way through the darkness."

"Thanks, friend!" Nathaniel saluted him and bolted off, following Roland's directions.

Roland couldn't help letting out a burst of laughter as soon as Nathaniel was away from earshot. The instructions that he had given Nathaniel would lead him straight to the Castle's garbage heap.

* * *

"Father!" Elissa's voice boomed against the walls of the Chantry.

Teyrn Cousland and Arl Wulff froze in position as the young Lady Cousland advanced upon them with fire in her eyes. The timid elven maid stood behind the entrance of the Chantry, trembling from the frightening aura of fury that radiated from Elissa's being.

"What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. _DOING_?" Elissa demanded in a low voice, taking slow deliberate steps towards the two drunken men who were now quivering in terror of Elissa's wrath.

Teyrn Cousland cleared his throat and made an attempt to stand straight, failing miserably as he wobbled on his rubber legs and had to hold himself up on the nearby pew. "Now, now…my dear. Arl Wulff and I were wanting to do some…hic…prayers for the war up north."

"You mean the war that ended twenty years ago?" Elissa crossed her arms, her eyes fierce.

"Uh…yes. That one." Her father nodded unsteadily. "Never too late to pray to the Maker for the safety of Thedas!"

Elissa let out an angry sigh and rubbed at her forehead. She threw a look at Arl Wulff who was trying to sneak away by crawling across the floor. "Where do you think _you're_ going, Arl Wulff? Just what did you and my father do this time?"

The drunken noble raised his hands and shook his head vehemently. "Nothing! Nothing at all! We are as innocent as Andraste herself!"

Elissa stomped up to the front to keep the two drunkards from escaping. "You both better not have messed with anything in this Chantry! Even if it is Feast's day, the Chantry mother won't be happy if you've pulled one of your bloody shenani…" She felt her foot trip on a spring trap.

"Watch out!" The two men yelled in unison.

Suddenly two barrels of Chantry wine splashed her from above, completely drenching her from head to toe.

Elissa stood in a large puddle of purple liquid, her hair soaked and plastered upon her face. The elven servant gave a small cry in reaction, while the two men looked on in horror.

They heard footsteps approaching at the entrance. "Bryce!" The Teyrna's voice yelled out in vexation. "Here you are, you drunk old fool! I have half a mind to…" She stopped in her tracks as soon as she noticed her daughter standing silent and drenched in wine.

Roland and Fergus bumped into the Teyrna's back at her sudden halt. "Mother!" Fergus took a step back to steady himself. "What in Maker's name is going o…" His words trailed off as he saw the image of his sister before him.

Everyone fell to an uneasy silence as Elissa remained frozen. The Teyrn was the only man who was brave…and foolish…enough to speak up. "I…I'm so sorry, pup. That wasn't meant for you…we set it up to befall upon the Chantry Mother when she comes in for the night for her evening service…"

With those words, Elissa snapped her head towards her father and she slowly began to advance on him. Wine continued to drip from her clothes with every step she took. Everyone took an automatic step back as Bryce Cousland backed himself to the wall in a pathetic attempt to escape his daughter's path of rage.

"FATHER…!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm going to that Roland Gilmore for this…" Nathaniel muttered angrily to himself as he shook off the last potato peel from the bottom of his shoe. He had spent several minutes fumbling around in a dark unlit alley, too late to realize that he had been tramping around Castle Cousland's garbage pile.

Not only was he unable to find Elissa, now his nobleman clothes reeked of moldy food. Nathaniel had finally found his way to the path outside the Castle. Judging from the sounds of music and laughter that drifted through the windows, Nathaniel guessed that he was just outside the giant ballroom…almost exactly where he had started.

He sighed in frustration, rubbing his neck and kicking the apple rind that fell from the cuff of his trousers. He might as well accept the fact that he would never find Elissa that night. Feast's Day was a holiday for fools indeed, and he felt like the reigning champion of fools in Ferelden that night.

Suddenly, his ears perked up with the sound whistling arrows hitting a heavy target. Nathaniel began to follow the sounds, wondering where they were coming from.

As he approached the soldier barracks, he paused with his mouth agape at what he saw before him.

There was Elissa, _his_ Elissa, muttering to herself as she shot one arrow after the other into a target dummy made of straw. In the dim light of the nearby torch, he could see that she was wearing a simple wool dress in the shade of dark red, the skirt only coming up to her knees. She was also wearing her favorite scarred leather boots, with her old iron dagger still strapped at the ankle.

Didn't Teagan say that she was dressed in an elegant gown earlier that night? And didn't Roland Gilmore have a pair of strapped shoes for her?

Nathaniel couldn't resist to quietly sneak up behind Elissa as she continued to shoot arrows from her bow as quickly as she was notching them.

Just as she was about to reach into her quiver to draw another arrow, Nathaniel bent down to whisper into her ear. "Don't lose focus now, young Lady Cousland."

"Augh!" Elissa yelped and spun around to punch Nathaniel square in the jaw. The force was so hard it made him fall back onto the ground, stunned more from surprise than from the hit.

"Nathaniel Howe?" Elissa huffed, tossing her bow to the side and putting her hands on her hips. "Who do you think you are, sneaking up on me like that?"

Nathaniel gracefully got back on his feet and dusted off his pants. "And who do you think _you_ are, throwing your fists around like that! Is that a common greeting for you? I could have been your mother…or Nan!"

Elissa flashed a smug grin. "Mother and Nan know better than to interrupt me while I'm trying to relieve stress."

"Oh?" Nathaniel crossed his arms. "And what can possible be the cause of stress on a day like Feast's Day?"

"I don't want to speak of it." Elissa angrily stomped over to the practice dummy and began to violently yank out the arrows from it's head. "For a night of festivities, it's been a real tangle of annoyances!"

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "What happened to your gown…and your shoes?"

Elissa paused to throw a glare at Nathaniel. "The dress is ruined…and the shoes are still broken. What about yourself? What happen to your clothing? They're all stained and dirty."

Nathaniel took a good look at himself. Sure enough, his best nobleman's clothes were covered in unidentifiable smears of rotten food and grime. Surely his father was going to let him have it that night. Nathaniel gave her a grimace in reply. "I got lost in the garbage heap."

After a moment of silence, Elissa burst out laughing. "You got lost in the garbage heap?" She repeated, tears springing to her eyes.

Nathaniel let out a grunt. "It's not my fault that the builder for Castle Cousland was blind. This place is terrible to find your way around!"

Elissa's laughter slowly bubbled down as she leaned against the target dummy for support. "Haha! Thank you for the laugh, Nathaniel. I needed it quite badly."

"I take it that you found your father before any new mischief was done this year?" Nathaniel guessed, inwardly happy that he made Elissa laugh.

"You can say that." Elissa dropped her arrows back into her quiver. "The prank that my father and Arl Wulff had set up so intricately in their drunken stupor ended up falling on me instead of the Chantry mother. It's better that way…the last thing we need is having the Chantry angry enough to excommunicate Highever over some juvenile prank."

Nathaniel didn't inquire further into the joke. Elissa's ire was slowly rising as she spoke. Nathaniel skillfully changed the subject and looked up into the skies. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it? A shame that everyone's inside the Castle."

Elissa gazed up at the sky with him, her expression softening. "I agree…the stars are really clear tonight."

Nathaniel glanced at Elissa as she remained silent, admiring the starry night with a small smile playing at her lips. _Don't you wonder who she is thinking of when she looks off into the horizon with nostalgic eyes? _Teagan's voice echoed inside Nathaniel's thoughts.

Nathaniel simply shook his head to rid Teagan's baseless observation. Elissa Cousland was in front of him right now, garbed in her simple wool dress and favorite leather boots. The faint sounds of song and voices from the castle were accompanied by the soft chirping of the crickets...somehow creating the most perfect background music for a romantic evening under the stars.

As he held his hand in front of her vision, Elissa broke out of her reverie and gave Nathaniel a curious look. "Well, the night isn't completely over yet. Care to share a dance with me, Lady Cousland?" Nathaniel gave her a charming grin.

Elissa couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle in reply and placed her hand upon his. "It will be my honor, Ser Howe. Just don't try anything funny…you know how my fists feel on that handsome face of yours."

"That, I do." Nathaniel laughed in response and pulled her gently into his arms.

"Nathaniel?"

"Hm?"

"You smell of garbage."

"Well, you smell like you drank a barrel full of wine. Which of us is more offensive?"

"Ah…" Elissa threw him the brightest of smiles. "_Touché_."

As they both danced under the starry sky, Nathaniel couldn't help thanking the Maker for granting his one wish for the night.


End file.
